International Ballroom dancing is also known as Dancesport in the competitive world.
The genre consists of 10 styles of dance, split into 5 Ballroom (or Standard) styles and 5 Latin styles.

Ballroom Dances

The Waltz

The modern waltz was developed in the early part of the 20th century and is played at a tempo of 30 bars per minute. The basic figures are based on diagonal patterns producing a smooth, easy progression around the dance floor. The modern waltz was introduced at the first ever World Championships held in London in 1922. Usually the waltz is the first dance taught to beginners, as it has a simple construction, regular, even changes of weight and a slow tempo, ideally suited for people to gain confidence! This dance is a great social dance and provides an ideal beginning for people to listen to music and become more at ease on the floor.

The Quickstep

The quickstep originates from the 1920s when it was developed by people to interpret the more sophisticated up-tempo music emerging at that time. A dance based on walks and chassés, it has a tempo of 50 bars per minute. It is a bright and happy dance that is also based on a diagonal pattern like the waltz.

The Tango

Ballroom tango has originated from the original tango, which started in the slums in Argentina. For years it was seen as scandalous to dance but gradually it was cleaned up and became socially acceptable in Europe in the 1900s. It has a very different hold from the other ballroom dances and projects an element of feline stealth during the walks.

The Foxtrot

The foxtrot made its first appearance in America in 1914, after being popularised by performer Harry Fox. The lilt of the new foxtrot music was an overnight phenomenon and soon crossed over into England. The arrival of jazz music also had a strong influence on the foxtrot generating a new step called the jazz roll, which developed into the Three-step. The true foxtrot needs a great deal of space and on a crowded dance floor the slow rhythm is more acceptable.

The Viennese Waltz

The Viennese is rarely seen outside of the competition environment and indeed is seen by many competitors as a dance of endurance! The ideal tempo is 60 bars to the minute but the figures may be danced to any waltz played between 44 and 64 bars per minute.

Latin Dances

The Chachacha

Cheeky, flirtatious and carefree, the Cha cha is usually one of the first latin dances a beginner learns and is a social favourite. Cha cha music originated from Cuba and has a strong easily recognised rhythm with a tempo of 30 bars per minute. The Chachacha arrived from the US about 1962 and proved to be tremendously popular straight away.

The Samba

The Samba and the carnival from Brazil go hand in hand. Again it is a flirtatious dance which captures all the excitement of the Rio carnival and is danced at 50 bars per minute. The samba requires the 'Samba tick' which is quite a difficult technique to learn but is what gives the samba its unique look. The samba was introduced to Europe from South America in the late 1930's but generally caught on after WW2. It became incredibly popular due to the infectious music and lively rhythms.

The Rumba

The Rumba is the slowest of the latin dances, danced at 27 bars per minute. It is based on the age-old story of the woman's attempts to attract, reject and ultimately dominate the man of her choice! It is a popular dance much in use at social dances and again tends to be a dance that is taught early on to beginners.

The Jive

This dance originated from the Jitterbug and Boogie Woogie which were popularised by American and Canadian servicemen during the 40's. It was originally banned from ballrooms for being too wild and abandoned, but was later made into an acceptable dance, using figures that could be taught and consequently renamed the Jive.

The Paso Doble

The Paso Doble is another dance that is mainly danced in competitions. Originating from Spain it depicts the drama enacted in the bullring, where the man is seen as the matador and the lady depicts the cape.